(The Sports Xchange) – – – Kevin Durant scored 30 points, guard Russell Westbrook added 21 points and 12 rebounds and the Oklahoma City Thunder pushed their winning streak to seven with a 105- 93 points victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Forward Serge Ibaka had 17 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, which has won 14 of 15.
The Thunder (20-4) moved to within a half-game of red-hot Portland (21-4) in the Northwest Division.
Center J.J. Hickson had 20 points and 14 rebounds and guard Ty Lawson had 17 points and 13 assists for the Nuggets (14-10).
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Lakers 96, Grizzlies 92
In game six of Kobe Bryant’s return from Achilles tendon surgery, Bryant matched his season high with 21 points as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers (12-13) split their four-game road trip, and they are 2-4 since Bryant’s return. Pau Gasol also scored 21 points with nine rebounds for Los Angeles and guard Nick Young had 18 points off the bench.
Zach Randolph had a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds, plus five assists, but Memphis (10-14) lost for the fourth time in a row.
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Trail Blazers 119, Cavaliers 116
Damian Lillard drilled a game-winning three-point bomb with 0.4 seconds left, and the NBA-best Blazers slipped past the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lillard, last season’s Rookie of the Year, outplayed Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving. Lillard finished with a game-high 36 points, eight rebounds and a season-high 10 assists.
Irving was no slouch, however. The 2011 Rookie of the Year ended with 25 points and 10 assists, but missed a potential tying three-point attempt at the buzzer.
Blazers (22-4) forward LaMarcus Aldridge added 26 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
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Bobcats 95, Kings 87
Kemba Walker sank four 3-pointers and scored 24 points, and the Charlotte Bobcats snapped a three-game losing streak.
The Bobcats (11-14) led by 18 in the first half but needed an 11-1 run midway through the fourth quarter to pull away for good after Sacramento got as close as two.
Center DeMarcus Cousins had a monster game for the Kings (7-16) with 30 points, 17 rebounds and six assists.
Newly acquired Sacramento forward Rudy Gay left the game in the third quarter with stiffness in his left knee. He finished with four points in 24 minutes.
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Warriors 104, Pelicans 93
The Golden State Warriors celebrated the return of Andre Iguodala with a dominating win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Warriors (14-12) lost three of four coming in and seven of 12 since Iguodala suffered a hamstring strain Nov. 20.
Iguodala had only two points and two assists in 17 minutes, while Stephen Curry led the team with 28 points.
